Dozens killed in govt strikes on Eastern Ghouta

Syrian rescue workers and activists say at least 35 civilians, including a medic and children, have been killed in relentless government strikes on the opposition-held region near the capital Damascus. The Syrian Civil Defense, known as White Helmets, has recorded at least 35 civilians killed on Thursday in at least six towns in the eastern Ghouta area in a combination of artillery and airstrikes. Eastern Ghouta has an estimated 400,000 residents, who are also trapped by a tightening government siege and critical shortage of medical supplies and food. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists on the ground, said it has documented at least 23 civilians killed so far.